What Is a TransUnion Criminal Background Check?

A TransUnion criminal background check pulls any criminal‑court data that has been reported to TransUnion and that is permissible under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Your TransUnion report typically lists each incident's offense type, filing date, jurisdiction, case number, conviction status, and sentencing details; it excludes records that are sealed, expunged, or otherwise restricted by state law.

What you'll see on your TransUnion file

• A felony conviction for burglary in Cook County, Illinois (2021), with sentence of 3 years' imprisonment.
• A misdemeanor assault arrest in Dallas, Texas (2022) that was later dismissed; the dismissal note appears next to the charge.
• A pending domestic‑violence charge in Miami‑Dade County, Florida (2023) that shows 'pending' until a final disposition.
• A court‑ordered restitution order tied to a 2020 fraud conviction in Los Angeles County, California.

These entries form the core of what a TransUnion criminal background check shows, and the next section explains how TransUnion verifies each record.

TransUnion pulls your criminal history from dozens of public and proprietary databases and then validates each entry before it appears on your TransUnion report.

• Court filings, state criminal‑justice portals, and federal agency records (for example, DOJ) serve as the core public sources.
• Law‑enforcement data feeds and county‑level jail rosters provide the most recent arrest and detention information.
• Private data‑aggregators that compile court, correctional and parole data fill gaps where public portals are limited.
• Automated matching uses full name, date of birth and Social Security number, followed by manual review of any mismatches.
• Each record is cross‑checked against at least two independent sources; unresolved differences are marked 'cannot verify' under the FCRA.

Employers typically order a TransUnion criminal background check during the hiring funnel to verify that your TransUnion report meets job‑specific safety or compliance standards. After obtaining written consent, they scan for convictions that match the position's risk profile - such as violent felonies for security roles or fraud offenses for financial jobs - and weigh recent entries more heavily, often using a seven‑year look‑back window under the FCRA.

If an adverse decision follows, they must provide an adverse action notice and a copy of the report, as outlined in the section on what a TransUnion criminal background check actually shows you.

Landlords use the same TransUnion criminal background check to assess tenancy risk, focusing on offenses linked to property damage, theft, or drug activity. They compare your TransUnion file against local fair‑housing rules and may adjust lease terms, security deposits, or outright deny applications based on the findings; many jurisdictions now ban consideration of certain misdemeanors, a point covered in the upcoming 'how state laws change what appears on your TransUnion check' section.

As required by the FCRA, landlords must also secure written permission and, if rejecting a renter, deliver an adverse action notice along with the relevant portion of the report. For more on compliance, see the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau guide.

Criminal records can stay on your TransUnion report indefinitely unless a state law imposes a shorter limitation or a court order seals or expunges the record.

• Arrests, charges, and non‑conviction data have no federal expiration; they remain until a state statute restricts them (for example, California's 7‑year limit on misdemeanor arrests).
• Convictions are reported indefinitely under the FCRA; only a few states cap reporting for certain low‑level offenses.
• Once a court seals or expunges a record, TransUnion must remove it as soon as the order takes effect - there is no automatic 5‑ to 10‑year waiting period.
• If you relocate to a state with stricter limits, the next data refresh will apply the shorter timeframe.

State fair‑chance statutes filter what your TransUnion criminal background check shows, while states without such laws let the report include every arrest and charge.

In California, Illinois and several other jurisdictions, the law (for example Cal. Civ. Code §1785.30) obliges TransUnion to suppress arrests that did not result in conviction after seven years and to remove most misdemeanor convictions after five years; consequently the check you receive from a California employer will omit many records that appear on the same check generated for a Texas address.

By contrast, states that have no fair‑chance restrictions allow TransUnion to report all public court filings, including pending charges and arrests without convictions, typically for the full seven‑year period required under the FCRA; employers in Florida or Ohio therefore see a much broader snapshot of your history. This state‑level variation directly influences the retention timelines discussed in the next section.

The accuracy of your TransUnion criminal background check is typically high, yet measurable error rates persist.

Most records come from court filings, law‑enforcement databases, and correctional‑facility reports that TransUnion cross‑checks for duplicates. Errors usually stem from name variations, delayed court updates, or data‑entry mistakes. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, TransUnion must investigate disputed items within 30 days, but the initial report can still contain inaccuracies.

• False‑positive matches: about 2 % of checks list a conviction that belongs to someone else with a similar name.
• Missing convictions: roughly 1 % of reports omit a record that should appear, often because the court has not yet uploaded the data.
• Out‑of‑date statuses: close to 3 % show a conviction that has been expunged or sealed in a state where the law requires removal.
• Data‑entry typos: less than 1 % contain misspelled names or incorrect dates that affect match quality.

These figures come from periodic audits cited by consumer‑protection agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission's analysis of reporting errors.

If you notice any of these issues, the next section explains how to dispute errors on your TransUnion report.

You can pull your TransUnion criminal background check in five quick steps. Follow the sequence below; each step complies with the Fair Credit Reporting Act and typically takes only minutes.

1. Visit the TransUnion consumer portal - go to TransUnion consumer solutions and click 'Get My Report.'
2. Create or log into your MyTransUnion account - provide your Social Security number, date of birth, and answer the identity questions they ask.
3. Select the criminal background check product - choose 'Criminal Records' from the list of reports available for purchase.
4. Pay the required fee - the charge is usually between $25 and $30; you can use a credit or debit card, and the transaction is processed instantly.
5. Download and review your report - the PDF appears on the screen; save it, then check for inaccuracies and, if needed, start a dispute through the same portal.

A personal TransUnion criminal background check typically costs $25‑$30 and becomes available online within minutes of payment; if you request a hard copy, standard mail adds a few days, while expedited shipping can shave that to 1‑2 business days. This quick delivery follows the earlier discussion of what the report shows and lets you move fast when employers or landlords request it.

Business‑order pricing is not published publicly and can vary widely per report, often bundled with subscription services; under the FCRA there's no mandatory filing fee, so you'll see the quoted price up front. Instant electronic access means you can spot and dispute any mistakes before the 'common errors you should dispute' section, and the optional mailed version gives a tangible record if you need one for a landlord‑filed application. For current consumer pricing, see TransUnion consumer background check pricing.

The below content will be converted to HTML following it's exact instructions:

• Your name, date of birth, or Social Security number is entered wrong, linking another person's record to your TransUnion report.
• Arrests or charges that were dismissed, dropped, or resulted in acquittal still appear as convictions.
• Records that a court has expunged or sealed remain listed, even though they should be removed.
• The same incident shows up multiple times, inflating the number of offenses.
• A jurisdiction or case number is mis‑attributed, attaching someone else's crime to your TransUnion file.
• Conviction details such as offense type, date, or sentencing are inaccurate compared to official court documents.

A credit freeze locks your Equifax credit report, so no hard inquiry can appear without your explicit permission, effectively blocking unauthorized inquiries.

To activate a freeze, go to Equifax's freeze portal or call their toll‑free line, provide your Social Security number, birth date, and a government‑issued ID; the freeze is typically free and becomes effective within one business day. Equifax will issue a PIN or password that you'll need to lift the freeze for any legitimate lender.

When you need a permitted hard inquiry, temporarily lift the freeze using the PIN, then reinstate it afterward; keep the PIN in a secure place and track the dates you unfreeze to avoid accidental exposure. For detailed steps, see the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau guide on credit freezes.

Sealed or expunged records belong off your TransUnion criminal background check; you can have them removed by filing a dispute.

First, collect the court order or docket that shows the record was sealed or expunged. Then submit a dispute through TransUnion's online portal or by certified mail to Consumer Relations, attaching a clear copy of the legal document and a brief note that the item 'must be excluded under the FCRA and applicable state law.' TransUnion is required to investigate within 30 days and delete any prohibited entry.

After the investigation, review the updated report. If the record remains, request a written explanation of why it was kept, and consider filing a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission's dispute guide or your state attorney general.